Canadian spousal sponsorship is how a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor their partner to come to Canada and live permanently. In Canada, we know how important it is for families to be together. For this reason, applications for spousal sponsorship are considered a top priority. To successfully sponsor a spouse, partner or child for Permanent Residence you must qualify as a sponsor.
When sponsoring a spouse or partner, the sponsored person must be at least 18 years old, and the relationship must be genuine. Children qualify only if they are under 22 years old and unmarried. A child over 22 may still qualify if they rely on a parent for financial support due to a mental or physical condition.
Once the sponsorship application is in process, sponsored family members over the age of 18 will need to submit police certificates, and all family members will need to have a medical exam.
1. Overseas sponsorship application – For spouses or partners living outside of Canada.
2. Inland sponsorship application – For a spouse or partner who is living in Canada. Applicants under this category may also be eligible to apply for a work visa in Canada when the spousal visa sponsorship application is filed.
If you are married and looking into sponsoring your husband or wife, immigration officers will expect to see the following evidence:
The government processing fees to sponsor your spouse in Canada are listed below. If you are sponsoring your spouse and they have dependent children, then an additional $150 payment will be required for each child included in the application.
If the sponsor resides in Quebec or intends to reside in Quebec upon the issuance of permanent residence, an additional fee of $289 CAD will need to be paid in addition to the fees mentioned above.
Unlike most other forms of Canadian sponsorship, you do not need to demonstrate a minimum amount of income to sponsor a spouse. However, whenever you sponsor a family member to Canada, you must sign an undertaking, in which you promise to provide financial support for the basic needs of your sponsored family member.
The length of the undertaking depends on the category of sponsorship. For spousal sponsorship (including spouses and common-law or conjugal partners), the length of the undertaking is 3 years from the day the sponsored individual becomes a Canadian permanent resident.
Sponsorship applications take approximately 12 months to process from start to finish. They are typically not processed much faster than 12 months but they can take longer, depending on the nature of your case.
If you have a complicated case, or the visa office requires additional proof of your relationship, this will delay the processing of your case and it will take longer.
The best way to ensure your sponsorship application is processed as quickly as possible is to make sure it is done right the first time. The lawyers and legal professionals at Canadim have helped thousands of spousal sponsorship applications. Find out how Spike Immigration can help bring your loved ones to Canada by taking our free online assessment.
Spike Immigration Consulting Inc. is a Mississauga immigration firm led by Ankur Narang, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence R707632), advising clients since 2006.
